Medical records. Hospital owned or patient owned?

I had an “ah-ha” moment while sitting in the New Jersey Hospital Association’s annual meeting.   We were listening to Dr. Eric Topol – Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, cardiologist, and author – discuss the technology changes that consumers have access to today.

In some cases the technology he talked about is only available to people with huge resources, but his point in showing the crowd of 500 people these things is – “They are coming.” Not only will these new technologies be available to patients, but the access to the technology will change the dynamics of the patient experience and the relationship they have with the entire healthcare system.

The technology advancements that are on their way are not new to you. I have been saying these things at the employee meetings over the last 3 years. I have shared a number of times that we need to continue to find ways to bring value to the patients.

But, I had one of those aha moments during the presentation. Dr. Topol wrote a book – “Patients Come First,” and in his book he talks about when the patient will be able to eventually preform their own EKG or X-ray, there will be a lot fewer emergency department visits because they will not need the services of a hospital or person for urgent intervention.   

Ok no big deal there.

What really struck me was when he started talking about who owns patient medical records. In each state, the laws define the “ownership” differently.

For example, in New Jersey the law says the hospital owns and maintains the records and the patients only have access to them. Vermont is the only state in the nation where the patient owns their own records.

I can bet that most of you know how to read a medical record, right? Well, when I have read my own medical record, I’m convinced the doctor must have written it in another language – to me it is just gibberish.

So when Dr. Topol began talking about the translation services (my description) that are now available to explain to patients what their scans and medical records say in layman’s terms, I was so grateful for what that could do for our patients and families! Patients will no longer need to rely on the healthcare professional to make sense of the words; technology will do it for them.

I know what you’re thinking – that’s just one more piece of technology that will replace us! But it’s not, it’s an advancement that will help, and I’ll tell you why.

The new technology cannot replace the plan of care and the value of developing the relationship that we as humans provide. This technology can help to speed up a task that would normally take time out of your day, allowing you to use that time to see more patients.

I get ads for shoes all the time while searching on the Web (and always thinking “How do they know I love shoes?!”). When someone is searching specific health issues they are concerned about via Google or Bing monitoring their activity, we could use the same data sharing that Amazon uses in their marketing efforts to “market” to our patients the information that will help them with carry-over care, help them get healthy or remain healthy, and to take their medications. Well, it could help any number of things!

Yes, this could have some ethical issues but if the patient controls their own records, they could participate in any number of different apps that give them the tools they need to manage their lives and care in entirely different ways. We are trying to do this already with our new Parent PAL app, but the inner connectivity to other information could be the game changer.

Ok just breathe. I’m not trying to scare you, but instead to inspire all of us to think about what our patients couldn’t live without. Then, to develop the technology to remedy their issue and help it to become essential to them.

You know I love my FitBit. It truly does make me feel better when I hit my goals and keep track of how my friends are doing on their personal efforts to keep up their cardio. How could we help people manage the stress in their lives?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

A new year, a new group of honorees!

So, January flew by faster than I could imagine. But that just got us one step closer to recognizing our next five (5) Employees of the Quarter

Our Q1 honorees for 2016 are:

• Kaylee McGuire — Community Recreation Program Coordinator, Mountainside
• Carol Sherry — Ambulatory Care RN, Mountainside
• Luciana Mendes-McGuire — Family Faculty, New Brunswick
• Marilyn Zuniga — Assoc. Coordinator for Autism, Fanwood
• Shavane Thompson — Team Lead-PAS IV&A, Mountainside

We could tell you how great they are ourselves, but let’s let their nominator share why they nominated them:

Kaylee McGuire

“Kaylee oversees our community recreation programs. These programs include Friday Night Fever, summer day and overnight camps, Adapted Aquatics, and Martial Arts. She has been expanding programs over the past 3 years to increase our patients served to a total of 491 children. She works countless days and hours to ensure safe and fun programs for this population who have few community resources to turn to. She continues to be innovative in her planning and organization of our programs to help their growth, satisfaction, and overall participants served. She is a true team player. Kaylee often assists with inpatient and LTC coverage needs. She also serves as President of NJ/EPA TRA and as the Pediatric Treatment Network leader for ATRA. This year, Kaylee has presented at conferences/webinars a total of 10 times, not including multiple inservices to staff throughout the organization.”

Carol Sherry

“I have no words to describe how much Carol Sherry contributes to the lives of our patients and the people with whom she works. Carol is the glue that holds Mountainside ACC together. If she can be helpful in any way, Carol is always right there. She has been here for so many years and I have never seen her dedication waver, not even for a moment. Going above and beyond is Carols norm, but that should never be taken for granted. I believe Carol deserves this honor, for sure. I'd nominate her for Employee of the Decade if I could.”

Luciana Mendes-McGuire

“Luciana goes above and beyond every day in her work as Family Faculty. She is a role model for our Service Excellence Standards. She goes out of her way to ensure that our families’ needs are met no matter what the circumstance—from bringing them food, to helping them get clothing, transportation and so much more!! She partners with staff in all that she does to help make our families experiences the best that it can be (e.g. supports staff and families in family meetings, coordinates welcome bags for families, oversees the Family Resource room, partners with Brain Injury Alliance for resources etc..). Every Thanksgiving Luciana and her family cook and serve a holiday dinner for our inpatient families and staff as a way to give back to the hospital for the wonderful care that they have received.”

Marilyn Zuniga

“Marilyn exemplifies compassion for all families, especially those from underserved communities. For example, children from Spanish-speaking families who she screened in the community Kohl's clinics actually have a higher rate of follow through with recommendations versus English-speaking families, which is very unusual. This is because she makes sure that these families understand what is going on and how to link to services. Families often contact her long after their screening to keep in touch and ask further questions to make sure their kids are getting needed services. She also exemplifies Excellence in her work as Study Coordinator for one of our autism grants. This grant requires constant attention to detail, networking with community providers and providing support to clinical staff. Some of the community agencies can be quite challenging but Marilyn never gives up as she tries to find ways to meet everyone's needs. Marilyn is endlessly patient in soothing frustrated families and staff. I have seen so much growth in Marilyn as her confidence and advocacy has grown. This is shown by her involvement with the International Meeting for Autism Research where she has been worked with the cultural diversity committee.”

Shavane Thompson

When I think of integrity and excellence I think of Shavane. Shavane is someone that I can trust and this value is shown through her everyday interactions with her co-workers, customers, clinicians, and to all in which she interacts with. Shavane is has that "get it right" personality. She works to perfection, and will not stop until her work is presentable and includes what is expected and beyond. She continues to go above and beyond what is expected to get the job done; even if it requires her to stay late. Shavane has volunteered in different fundraiser events at Children’s and serves as a member of the Family Advisory Counsel. Shavane has sat on the Board of Career Vision Ambassadors and was the President of the Alumni Association at her college. She has run multiple church groups in her spare time. Shavane also sat on the Board of the Rotary Club.”

Congratulations to all five of you for being recognized for your hard work and dedication to our patients, families, and each other. You will each be rewarded with a $50 gift card and an item of your choice from our Give a WOW! gift shop, as well as be considered for our Employee of the Year.

If you have a colleague that you feel should be rewarded for going above and beyond both at Children’s Specialized Hospital and in their community, please submit an Employee of the Quarter nomination in Give a WOW! Questions on how to do this? Please contact Megan Muller at x7135 or memuller@childrens-specialized.org.

Comment below to leave a congratulations message for each of our Employees of the Quarter. 

You decide what the future looks like

I’m sure by now most of you know that I started my professional career working in Washington, DC and for the State of New Jersey. I was responsible for policies, and since my job was heavily impacted by politics it was important for me to learn the ropes.

So, with that said, watching this Presidential campaign has been both fascinating and frightening to me. Even more so, I believe it has parallels to the transformation in health care.

Let me explain…

Forget whether you affiliate yourself with the Democrat or Republican Party. It is very clear that most people paying attention to the debates and the campaigns for our next President are angry.

Why do I say this?

On both sides of the aisle, many of the policies that the candidates promise and put forward are impractical and can not be accomplished.

No, we aren't going to pay for everyone's college education — unless we raise taxes to equal 50% of what people earn. No, Mexico is not going to pay for a wall to stop immigrants from coming into our country. The Affordable Care Act may be modified; 10 million Americans including 1 million children now have insurance and it will not be repealed.

When I watch these debates and the political commercials I can’t help but wonder, “Why are candidates saying these things and why do people believing in them?”

Rapid changes in our economy and advancements in technology make it difficult for us to protect the “American Dream.” We can’t all be Mark Zuckerberg, creating Facebooks and making more money than we know what to do with. The truth is the state of our country is a harsh reality.

It’s not all bad and scary. I’ll be the first to tell you that some major improvements have been made in the last few years. The economy has turned around and unemployment is down to 5%. These are great! But, people are not better off now than they were in 2007 when it comes to their income.

We are all uncertain about our safety and our future employment. Our parents now know that we will not have the same opportunities as them in regards to financial security and independence. This can cause huge unrest and disillusionment.

So what is the answer?

The answer is that we hold the answer within our own world. It is up to us to continue to do our best to find hope and joy in our daily life.

Knowing that change is coming doesn't make it any easier to accept the change. We need to do for each other what we do for our families — find the joy and refrain from getting too far ahead of ourselves.

We need to come together as a community where all people find the chance to succeed, where teamwork is encouraged and excellence follows.

What are your thoughts about this topic? Are you feeling the pressure and struggle? What are the ways you are coping?

Technology: Is it hurting or helping?

One of the many things that I have always appreciated about the employees at Children's Specialized Hospital is how many of you who show no hesitation to ask questions and allow me the opportunity to give you a different view on shared topic I’ve talked about.

This blog post is a result of the last State of the State. I know some of you showed concern that all of this new technology was going to "hurt" what we know as Children's Specialized; that it would in some way change our ability to stay close to the families.

First, let me begin by saying that when I started working here we had only five (5) locations. Today, we have 13 locations.

In each of our locations, families tell me that they feel connected to our staff. They are struck by how each of you takes them into your lives, and in turn you become part of their families. 

Let me tell you, that doesn't happen by accident. It happens because we live our values and we love what we do. You have set Service Excellence Standards that we all work hard tolive up to.

We have dramatically changed our hiring practices so we hire not only based upon your skills, but based on who you are and what kind of heart you have. These are purposeful, deliberate strategies that we set out. Yes, we always can do better to ensure we are all rowing in the same direction, but we have made significant strides.

Secondly, there are things we may not see every day, things that we shouldn’t necessarily be proud of that are an unfortunate reality that many of our families go through. For example, we have 5,000 calls coming into scheduling. No matter how many people we hire to answer the phones, there are no more appointments to give them. Our wait for physician services went up last year and we have wait lists for EVERY ONE of our services.

We continue to make great strides by using technology in registrations – reducing upwards of 5,000 hours of face-to-face time that parents have to wait to be registered by a person – creating a patient portal so families have access to their records, pharmacy refills digitally, and scheduling online in 2016.

But, we are still using modes of treatment that require families to come to us. Families have said that there are times in their lives that if they could do FaceTime or video treatment it would help them. If we had a 24-hour billing department that would allow people to chat online to understand their bill, like I can do with my cable company, that to would be easier for them.

We will hold to our values and continue the good things that we do have at Children’s Specialized. But we also have opportunities to better meet the needs of our families by the use of technology and pursuit of new ways to help their children meet their maximum potential that we must never stop striving for.

Disagree? Or did I miss your concerns? Let me know in the comments below.

And tonight’s Power Ball numbers are…..

Remember when I told you about having certain people who youcan really rely on? Well, today’s post was inspired by Theresa Defosse! She reached out to me to share what she would do with the money if she won the huge Powerball jackpot.

As of yesterday, the jackpot was up to $1.5 billion. BILLION! You could buy a few private islands and still have enough left over to get each Children’s Specialized Hospital employee a new car.

Theresa – who has a heart of gold – shared that she would use the money to help others and to change the world in a positive way.

“Personally, I would focus on accessible housing. I would start by building a community for kids and families who can’t go home after hospitalization. Then, I would try to expand the vision and promote accessible housing communities. I would want more medical group homes, so kids like Poppy could live with a family.”

So, it got me to thinking. What would I do if I won the Powerball jackpot (or even a portion of it). 

I just have to say that part of me feels like I’ve already won the lottery with the big Alabama win on Monday. Roll tide!!!!

I was on a golf course once with some colleagues. Instead of paying attention to the game, I started a conversation about what we would do if we won the lottery.

The woman I was playing with said she would set aside money for her nieces and nephews to pay for college.

I had just finished chairing the Capitol campaign for my church and said that I would pay off the mortgage so that it wouldn’t be such a burden for us. I would also pay off my Children’s Specialized Hospital pledge.

The woman’s husband was also playing with us and he said, “What is wrong with you two?! You are supposed to buy a jet and spend the money crazily so you end up bankrupt! You will never ‘win’ with those kinds of ‘wants’!”

Well, I still play occasionally hoping to pay off the church mortgage and my Children’s Specialized pledge, but it was still one of the funniest conversations I have ever had.

Now I want to know, what would YOU do with the money if you won? And if you’re playing tonight, “may the odds forever be in your favor.”

A blessing from Fanwood

We have so many amazing employees to spotlight that it’s usually hard to pick which example to share each month! Today I wanted to share a parent’s email about Rachel De Lara (Service Coordinator, Case Management – Fanwood Plaza) and the Early Intervention Program as a whole.

“This email is to express my sincere gratitude for the excellent service my family has received through Early Intervention, all coordinated by Rachel De Lara. Having Rachel as our son’s case manager has been both a pleasure and a blessing. He will be turning 3 years this weekend and ageing out of the program. I cannot let this time pass without expressing how pleased we were not only with our case manager assignment, but with our therapists and the program itself.

Working with Rachel was both a gift and a blessing. She was very approachable and performed well above and beyond her responsibilities. She went out of her way to accommodate my needs as a working parent, responded to all inquiries with equal attention, and far exceeded my hopes and expectations as our case manager. Her dedication to what she does truly shows in her work, with excellent attention to detail, and professionalism from start to finish.”

This parent even went on to tell us how the Early Intervention Program has improved since her other child had been in the program!

“Our older son also came through Early Intervention in 2008-2009. Our recent experience with the program from then to the current program now, is truly night and day. I have to say the therapists provided for both of my boys were very good; the dramatic difference was in the case coordination. And it made every difference!

The changes made to EI since our first experience are very apparent in terms of increased and better communication, responsiveness to parent requests, qualifications of the coordinator, and the level of service provided. So I must congratulate you on both the very pronounced strides of improvement that have evolved within the program, as well as retaining a case manager like Rachel, with superior communication, organization, and interpersonal skills that were consistently demonstrated.”

Not only does this show how valued Rachel proved to be for this family, but the Early Intervention Program as a whole has proven to be so crucial in helping this family and other families in their services.

Our kids have different abilities, not disabilities.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to the kids that we serve is showing them that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. With a little hard work and some motivation from their loved ones, the sky is really the limit.

So when I got word that one of our patients, Ali Stroker, was making headlines on BROADWAY with her acting and singing I couldn’t wait to share the news with you all! She is staring in the Deaf West Theater production of Spring Awakening.

Ali is paralyzed from the chest down from a car accident when she was 2 years of age. She came to us for therapy and has been a shining star in her wheelchair ever since. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her goals.

 

Here is Nichole Turmelle and her daughter, Zee, with Ali.

She has appeared on TV in “Glee,” “The Glee Project,” and onstage in “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Paper Mill Playhouse – just to name a few of her projects.

So, let’s tie this back to us and why I wanted to share this with you guys. Our kids sometimes need a little extra boost of confidence to tackle that hurdle during their therapy sessions. And each one of you help to give that to them, encouraging them to push harder and give it all they can.

The holiday season is a time for us all to think back on our blessings throughout the year and show thanks. So as we enter this holiday season, I want you all to know that its stories like this – about our kids and how well they are growing after they’ve left us – that make me thankful to work alongside each of you.

You do amazing things here at Children’s Specialized Hospital. You help our patients reach their wildest dreams.

And like Ali shared in the article written about her, our kids don’t have disabilities – they have different abilities. 

RWJ/Barnabas – The Rumor Mill

So, since my email last week with the update to the Robert Wood Johnson and Barnabas merger I’ve gotten A LOT of questions. I answered some of them during my State of the State meeting last week, but in case some of you didn’t attend I wanted to make sure I clear up any questions here on the blog.

You all know it is my preference to deal with the issues directly, so I will continue to share the rumors I have heard and ask that if there are others – please post them in the comments below and/or email them to me. If I have the answers and can address them, I’ll do so here on the blog.

So, let’s get started.

Rumor: Amy was fired from Children’s Specialized Hospital and they moved her out.

I was not fired. Although being President of Children’s Specialized Hospital is the best job in the world because of both the work we do and each of you, this is a promotion for me. My mother even joked that I’ll really have no life now because I’ll be so busy.

Rumor: Joe Dobosh is retiring.

I am not even sure where this came from but No is the answer. Joe Dobosh is not retiring. Eventually he probably will, but not at this time.

Question: Where will your office be?

I will have an office in Plum Street in New Brunswick, but most of my time will be spent on the road working with the hospitals in the Southern region of RWJ Barnabas.

Question: Will Warren take your office in New Brunswick?

Yes, when the time comes to make the transition I will move my things out of my office at our New Brunswick Somerset Street office and Warren will move in. I’ve already given him some tips on how to rearrange the furniture!

Question: Will you still do your blog and the weekly wrap up?

This is a tricky one. No, I will not be in charge of the blog and the weekly wrap up anymore. Will Warren take over? That hasn’t been decided yet. Of course you’ll still be kept updated on what’s going on around the hospital, so much of what you’d normally share in the wrap up you should send to Megan Muller so we can share it in the Daily Huddles.

Question: Will Warren give us jean days?

I have no idea! This is something you’ll have to ask him about.

Question: Will you ever come back to see us?

You’ll still see me from time to time. I will attend events in my new role at all the hospitals and I will still be in New Brunswick (remember, I’ll have an office at Plum Street!). You may not see me as often, but I’ll still be around for sure.

Question: When is this going to happen?

The timing is dependent on when the Attorney General of New Jersey approves the merger. It could be a month or it could be a year. We don’t know the answer to this one yet, but I will share when I can. We are trying to be as proactive as we can so there are no surprises when this happens. That is why all three hospitals and our board have begun to discuss the movement of positions.

Question: Once Warren moves up, who will move into his role?

This is a great question, and from what I’ve heard some of you have already started to get some ideas on restructure! Warren will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to determine this new structure. Most likely that wouldn’t occur until after I move into my new role.

Question: Are you still CEO now?

Yes! Until the day that this transition takes place, I will continue to be the CEO of Children’s Specialized Hospital and continue on with my responsibilities in this position. Consider it business as usual until you hear otherwise.

Question: Will Children's Specialized Hospital be remaining an affiliate of the merged hospital, or will we become the children's hospital within the new organizational structure?

We will remain as an affiliate of the hospital.

Question: There's the RWJ University Hospital Foundation, Saint Barnabas Medical Center Foundation, and Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation. Will these stay intact or be combined?

The Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation is free standing, and not part of this merger.

Question from the comments: Can we see a picture of Warren, have never actually met him!!!
Warren's photo is listed in his contact in the phone directory. A simple search would have brought him up for you! It's also listed under his Give a WOW! profile. But, to save you the hassle, here is one from us today.

I am aware that this announcement of my departure and Warren's promotion may have come as a surprise to some of you. But I want to assure you all that you’re in good hands here. Warren and I have worked closely for many years at Children’s Specialized. I have no doubt that he’ll continue to lead you all to reach new heights and accomplish even more than I have.

I know that as time goes on, there may be other rumors or questions that come about. I will continue to update you all when I have more information that I can share, but I would appreciate if there are other things out there that you are curious about, please let me know so I can put them to bed.

So, what else do you want to know?

Rock stars of Quarter 4

Doesn’t it feel like we just announced our first Employees of the Quarter? Time sure flies! Today we’re sharing our Employees of Quarter 4. These five (5) employees were nominated by their peers for having gone above and beyond in exemplifying our Core Values and Service Excellence Standards.

Our Q4 honorees are:

• Maria Fermin – Registration Rep, Patient Access Services, Hamilton
• Ryan Sharkey – Desktop Support Technician, Information Technology, Stevens Road
• Amy Norton – Intake Coordinator, Feeding Program, Mountainside
• Kimberly Baglieri – Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapist, Mountainside
• George Greene – Maintenance Mechanic, Facilities Management, New Brunswick

We could tell you how great they are ourselves, but let’s let their nominator share why they nominated them:

Maria Fermin

“Maria is the epitome of a team player. She works so hard every day to make sure our patients and their families have a great experience at CSH. She is a jack of all trades whether working the greeter position, printing cards or just taking the time to talk to patients and their families. She knows all the patients by name, what kind of stickers they like and remembers everything they say to her. She makes everyone else's job easier and her personality lights up the lobby. She's great and I'm extremely proud to have her as a colleague.”

Ryan Sharkey

“Ryan is always available to help and goes above and beyond to find a resolution to any issue that comes up. He is very patient when dealing with all of the staff... He is a team player and exemplifies the Teamwork/Collaboration Value. He also shows the value of Excellence by knowing the various computer systems and always finding an answer if he does not have one immediately for you.”

Amy Norton

“Amy embodies every CSH value and service excellence standard. Because of her compassion and innovation, she went above and beyond her role as Feeding Team Coordinator to start the Kohl's funded community free developmental screening clinic program. Because of her excellence and teamwork, she went beyond that to make sure that daycares in low income areas had access to these clinics. This included holding a clinic in a family support organization that served the Haitian community, a group that is particularly hard hit and underserved. Because of her compassion and integrity, she linked child care program staff from high resource (Princeton) and low resource (Trenton program for the homeless) to ensure that ALL kids received quality services. Because of her pride in CSH, dedication, follow through, sincerity, and all CSH values, she reached out and created networks and connections, resulting in developmental screening training being incorporated for all quality child care programs in NJ, with CSH having the contract, and Amy designing and implementing the training curriculum. Because of her sense of fun, she uses her extraordinary baking skills to always make a treat for all Feeding and Autism Dept trainings and meetings, thus creating a literally nurturing and welcoming environment at all times.”

Kimberly Baglieri

“Kim was an OT student at our Clifton site and as a student she demonstrated a commitment to learning and to the practice of occupational therapy. As a student Kim exemplified Children’s values and was a committed member of the OT department and we knew she would be an asset to the Children’s team. While Kim is a relatively new clinician, her passion and dedication to her role at Children’s is seen in her embracing the job of updating the student lecture series. Kim has been leading the OT team and working collaboratively with the PT team to organize, revise, and develop interdisciplinary and discipline specific student educational modules so we can provide the best clinical education and experience to our next generation of clinicians. Kim’s passion for OT, her commitment to her purpose and dedication to her patients and families is apparent in her leadership with this project and in her daily interactions.”

George Greene

"George consistently meets all of our values/standards. He is reliable, courteous, & efficient in his follow-through. He wears a smile and anticipates the needs of others. George engages in innovative team approaches to making CSH a fun & safe environment. George comes to every encounter with respect & compassion whether for staff, patients, families, or vendors. George wears his pride in being a member of our staff & in his pride for our organization in his daily demeanor. George is calm no matter the situation – staff knows when he walks into a situation that it is under control. He is able to prioritize various aspects of the environment including not only safety but also patient/family needs and immediate or upcoming therapy/nursing needs. Most of all, George defines integrity. He is a pleasure to work with and it is an honor to nominate him."

Congratulations to all five of you for being recognized for your hard work and dedication to our patients, families, and each other. You will each be rewarded with a $50 gift card and an item of your choice from our Give a WOW! gift shop, as well as be considered for our Employee of the Year.

If you have a colleague that you feel should be rewarded for going above and beyond both at Children’s Specialized Hospital and in their community, please submit an Employee of the Quarter nomination in Give a WOW! Questions on how to do this? Please contact Megan Muller at x7135 or memuller@childrens-specialized.org.

Comment below to leave a congratulations message for each of our Employees of the Quarter.

Twelve years and counting…

September 29th marks my twelfth year at Children’s Specialized Hospital. On one hand it seems like it went so fast, but honestly it is hard to remember my life without Children’s Specialized Hospital in it!

There is so much that I think about as I reflect back on the last 12 years.

I remember so many of specific moments—Hurricane Sandy; moving to New Brunswick; opening Lakehurst, Clifton, Bayonne, Newark, Egg Harbor, Warren, and Plum Street; and all of the renovations in Mountainside! I look back on the children who have come into our lives, and the tremendous courage of each of them as well as and their families.

The smiles, laughter, and accomplishments of so many of you who have let me into your lives both professionally and personally.

All of the trips to Washington and Trenton to advocate for our children and our hospital, AND the families who have let me drag them all over Washington to tell their stories over and over again to anyone and everyone.

As the flood of memories comes back, the one commonality among them is the smiles and laughter.

The galas, the speeches, and the fundraisers all with special moments and shared joy. In the same respect, I remember the sorrow from the children and staff who were taken from us too soon.

Prominently displayed in my office is the beautiful book I received as a gift on my 10th anniversary. It includes letters from many of you and pictures of our children. It brings tears of joy to my eyes every time I look at it.

While I have many funny stories, nothing will ever top the story about Congressman Mike Ferguson coming to a check presentation in Mountainside. The Congressman was coming to do a press event about money he had secured for us for renovations in Long Term Care. If you know me well you know I hate photos with checks so I asked if the Congressman would read a book to the kids instead.

The kids had just come home from school and one of the little girls – who was the most charismatic, outgoing, spitfire we have ever had stay with us – was giving me a hard time about coming to the event. So now here I am begging her to come to this event and she asks me why the Congressman is coming. I tried my hardest to explain to her that he was coming to read us a story and people were going to take pictures, but she was just looking frustrated because she didn’t understand why. So, I said “He is bringing us cash.”

I didn’t think any more about the conversation and went off to meet the Congressman. The little girl comes in, wheels into the front row, and when he is all done reading the little girl has this face on—I am sitting right next to him so I know something is up.

He looks at her and asks, “Would you like to keep this book?”

This is the best part…

She replies to him with, “No, I want the cash!”

Now, you can imagine my face as I’m watching this whole thing go down (actually you can sEE it in the picture above!). I told her he was bringing money! Did I mention that the Star Ledger was there? I almost died! I never tried to explain away because there was just nothing to say…but out of the mouths of babes!

I can’t even begin to tell you what an honor it is to serve with each of you in our efforts to fulfill our mission of creating a world where every child can reach their full potential. Thank you for all that you give and your dedication to our children and each other.

Cheers to many more years of great things at Children’s Specialized Hospital.

So long sweet summer

Ok, so we have passed Labor Day weekend – the “unofficial” end of summer. While the calendar says summer doesn’t actually end until tomorrow, the beginning of September is usually the time most of us think of the going back to school or back to work.

I shared some of my goals for the summer, for example my summer reading list. Out of the six books I wanted to read, I read five of the six.

The Talk Like Ted book was fabulous and I have already lent it out, especially if you do any presentations or public speaking.  The key take away I got from this book was the art of saying less but having a bigger bang with your messages.

I also read “Do the KIND Thing,” “The Vacationers,” “Beautiful Ruins,” and Sue Grafton’s “X.”

The last book I still have yet to read is “The Oz Principle.” Of course I picked up other books to read along my travels! I told you about “Touchpoints” a great management book that brought together so many of the things we have been working on as part of our management growth.

I also read "Every Last One" by Anna Quindlen which I loved and the "Beautiful Bureaucrat" which I hated.

My August was filled with travel — China and Japan you already know about, but this month also had two wedding back to back. I have now reached the age where my friends’ kids are starting to get married! Both weddings will put me back on planes to Florida and South Carolina. After doing the 13 hours to Asia, these are a walk in the park! 

While I didn't get as much relax time as I would have liked, I did spend a great deal of time thinking about the future. Not only are we working on the RWJ/Barnabas merger, we are also preparing to embark on updating our three year strategic plan in 2016. This is the time when we look both ahead and back. What have we accomplished over the last three years, what is left to do, and how does that fit with both what our families want and the current state of our health care environment?

You have heard me say many times that I do not believe the healthcare delivery system will look anything like what it does today, or in the very near future.

The minute clinics and easy access clinics are now on every major corner. I believe the next big thing will be the ability to make use of your medical information. While many of us have electronic medical records, they’re still not easy to access or are unavailable without going through many steps. I think sharing protected health information will become as easy as sharing access to an app with your provider – regardless of where you are.

The technology is coming too. Accessing doctors via telemedicine will be the standard, not the exception. While we and others have begun to dabble in it, it will be more common than going for an office visit.

So yes, I guess you could say I spent a lot of the summer thinking about how we will fit all of this in and what it will ultimately mean for our continued growth and efforts.

So how about you? What did you do or think about this summer? I would love to hear summer vacation stories too!

Leadership: Tough Minded & Tender Hearted

A few weeks ago I asked you all for recommendations for summer reading. Sue Winning went one step further and loaned me a great book - "TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments" by Douglas Conant.

I couldn’t wait to share some of the things that I took away from this book with all of you.

The book talks about many tools and strategies you can utilize to be both "tough minded and tender hearted." Simply put, we will still get the results we strive and work for, but we still care about the people around us and on the path along the way. 

One section talked about identifying one thing you would change in yourself as a leader or that you would change in your boss.

This sure made me think about what I would change in my leadership style! When I actually said it out loud I knew it was unrealistic, but I would want my boss to have the same priorities that I have for his time. Even though the parts of his job that impact me are probably less than 25%, it is totally unrealistic that he would concentrate at the same level of intensity or priority that I do about the same issues.

Getting some perspective on that was tremendously helpful for me and made me a lot more appreciative of what it takes to stand in his shoes.

Thank you, Sue, for lending me this book. It has helped me to become a better leader, as well as to be led.

So just think about that for a minute – are there things that you wish your boss would do differently for you? Would you be so bold to share them? 

In doing so, you may provide valuable insight to yourself as well as your boss! 

The Winners Are…

As you know, with our redesigned Employee Recognition Program we have introduced the Employee of the Quarter/Year component. This program recognizes five (5) employees each quarter who go above and beyond in exemplifying our Core Values and Service Excellence Standards.

Our Q2 honorees for 2015 – and our Employees of the Quarter – are:

• Adrienne RobertielloAutism Educator, Autism Program, Fanwood
• Beth Anne DoboshDirector of Corporate Foundation Relations, Foundation Department, New Brunswick
• Cynthia GreenPhysician Relations Representative, Business Development Department, New Brunswick
• Haig MinassianSystems Analyst, Strategic Improvement Department, New Brunswick
• Melissa SmithClinical Lead – ST, Administration, New Brunswick

Here’s a little peak into what their nominator had to say about them:

Adrienne Robertiello

“[Adrienne] is a visionary who routinely looks for and creates opportunities for CSH to shine and to broaden our reach. For example, not only has Adrienne created resources to improve safety for people affected by ASD, she has also instructed countless emergency providers how to recognize people with special needs and how to more effectively communicate and anticipate in order to prevent emergency situations and/or to better handle situations as they arise…She tirelessly works to make improvements to the Hub and to add practical information that is accessible and also promotes the expertise of CSH…Adrienne is always willing to help others with various projects, including using her graphic arts

background to create professional posters and flyers, problem solve situations involving patient/family needs, and hook up families and staff with community resources.”

Beth Anne Dobosh

“Having grown up with an aunt who had Down syndrome, Beth Anne had a special place in her heart for people with disabilities and she knew she wanted to make a real impact for an organization that helped children with special needs. Lucky us, because during her 7 years here at Children’s Specialized, Beth Anne has developed into a dynamic, multi-skilled leader under the guidance and direction of Phil Salerno, among others. Beth Anne has too many accomplishments to list; millions of dollars raised; numerous corporate partnerships that have blossomed into signature relationships with multi-tiered levels of support from monetary, grants to thousands of volunteer and corporate service hours. Beth Anne has been a part of our Community Engagement Pillar since its inception and has helped lead many successful changes and initiatives to increase our community engagement events. What’s important to understand about Beth Anne’s work is that she has to inspire and motivate others to give, to volunteer, to grant funding and to commit to helping our cause – to be successful with any of those tasks it takes an incredible amount of passion and skill.”

Cynthia Green

“Cindy always goes above and beyond to provide VIP concierge service to every family. For example, not only does she arrange car service if needed, she gets them local gym membership, purchased a bathing suit for a child who did not have one so the patient could participate in aquatics, and found a poster of a patient's favorite hockey team for a patient who lived in California and was extremely homesick. She shows this same compassion, sincerity, commitment, and anticipation of unstated needs with co-workers. For example, she has befriended the troubled young son of one of the staff in New Brunswick, providing a listening ear when he visits, making sure that he has a snack and help with games to keep him busy while his parent prepares for home. She travels throughout the NJ-PA-NY-CT area to tirelessly promote CSH programs…Her eyes and ears are always open for patients, families and staff interests and needs…Many of the families who contact Cindy are extremely anxious about the health of their children. Cindy acknowledges their concerns and follows through 100% of the time…Cindy has been singled out by many inpatient and outpatient families for going above and beyond.”

Haig Minassian

“Haig worked throughout the past year to prepare for the roll out of both the Tablet Registration and the Patient Portal and has been the point person for both projects. Both of these projects are responses to the expressed need of patients and families and seek to improve the experience of those we serve while also increasingly efficiency and keeping our organization at the forefront of the marketplace. Haig has been working incredibly long hours throughout the state to make sure that the tablet roll-out is successful, and he balances a great deal while also training staff, anticipating concerns, and problem solving on the go. He keeps the strategic aspects of the project in mind in the face of daily minutia that also needs to be addressed…I've been particularly impressed at how I have seen him grow in recent months as he interacts with a wide spectrum of people in many roles with a wide spectrum of personalities and life experiences. He has been very encouraging to staff who are learning something new.”

Melissa Smith

“As a clinical lead [Melissa] has the opportunity to influence so many by sharing her clinical expertise using evidence based practice and the most current literature both in one on one mentoring and in workshop settings. She continues to support the inpatient teams with leadership and provision of highly skilled Speech services in a family centered environment. She is truly impacting inpatient and outpatient services by being compassionate and caring mentor to make a positive lasting difference for many staff and patients... Melissa has truly taken on her new role with a passion, she understands the importance of being committed to developing and growing her own leadership skills so that she can have a greater influence on improving our clinical lead team and in turn the organization.

Congratulations to each of you and thank you to the team members who took the time to recognize all who were nominated!

Each of these individuals will be rewarded with a $50 gift card and an item of their choice from our Give a WOW! gift shop, as well as considered for Employee of the Year.

Please join me in congratulating each of our honorees for their dedication to Children’s Specialized Hospital both in the comments below and on Give a WOW!

If you have a colleague that you feel should be rewarded for going above and beyond both at Children’s Specialized and in their community, please submit an Employee of the Quarter nomination in Give a WOW! Questions on how to do this? Please contact Megan Muller at x7135 or memuller@childrens-specialized.org.

You know you’re at Children’s Specialized when…

Have you ever caught yourself in the “outside world” doing things that you do while at work here at Children’s Specialized and wondered if people are looking at you funny?

I have!

Last week I was walking in from the Plum Street parking deck in the middle afternoon. Jagdar Tamesar (Environmental Services) was walking in with me and I bent down to pick up garbage from the floor in the parking deck.

Now, if you have been in the Plum Street deck in New Brunswick, you know that while the New Brunswick Parking Authority does great work, the parking deck has a pretty heavy flow of traffic in and out, so it is hard to keep it clean.

Stuff on the floor is a pet peeve of mine. I think of my work space the same way that I do of my home. I would never walk over a piece of garbage in my own home, so I wouldn’t leave it on the floor here at work either.

Want to hear something funny? One Sunday I came into the hospital and Marion Bethea (PAS, Mtn) was poking fun because she saw me on the security cameras picking up hairpins that were on the floor!

Another thing I do all the time is talk to random children – not just our kids, but any kid. I ask them about their day and talk to them about the clothes they are wearing. Their parents are either thrilled that someone is taking notice of their children or they think I am a total crackpot.

Let’s hear it! What little quirks do you carry with you from our work here?

Moments to relive

Sometimes, when I’m having “one of those days,” I like to reflect on some moments in my life where I felt like I was on top of the world. Those moments that put a stamp on your heart, and your memory, and always bring you back to what you were feeling on that day.

Today I want to share a few moments that really took my breath away or caused me such joy that I wish I could do them again.  And of course because you know me, there is a combination of work things and personal things. 

One of the first things that comes to mind was after my father’s surgery to remove his cancer-infested kidney. The morning after the surgery, I brought my mother to his hospital room. He looked up and said, “The doctor told me if I start walking, I could get out of here faster. We are going walking!” So, if you can imagine, my 80-year-old father was doing laps around the other oncology patients and circling the nurses’ station.

I tried to explain to him no one liked a show off and he might trip if he is not careful! Did he care? No way! He wanted to go home as soon as he could!

When the doctor came back the next day, he told him he had done 100 laps and he thought he should get to go home. The doctor looked at me and I said, “Welcome to my world!” In the end, the doctor told him he needed to stay for at least one more day. The look on his face was devastating but the moment was hysterical. This is the essence of my Dad—give him a task and get the heck out of the way!

Children’s Specialized Hospital had been nominated by NJBIZ in 2007 for being an outstanding company. The award ceremony was the same night as one of our Board meetings and all of Senior Staff was there. We knew we had made the top 25, but we didn’t know where we fell in the ranking.

So, there we all were. We had been 10th the year before and we were thinking we might move up one or two spots. But that wasn’t the case.  The announcement of the rankings began; they called 10th place, 9th place, etc, and we still weren’t called.

As we reached the final honorees it was clear we would be named either first or second. When they announced that we were the Hospital of the Year I remember the elation. Not that it was going to change the course of anyone’s life, but we were all so excited and so proud to be together and working together. I can still feel the excitement in my belly. It was a great moment!

Lastly, I am taken back to Alabama. In graduate school I was hired by a big executive of a paper company to dog and house sit for them while he and his family traveled. They had a chocolate lab and I fell in love with her.

When they bred her, I asked to buy one of the chocolate females. She gave birth to 11 pups—5 chocolate, 6 yellow. Four of the chocolate puppies were males and only one was female, also the runt of the litter. I thought it was destiny! There were no ifs, ands, or buts—she was mine.

She lived for 15 years, getting me through a marriage and a divorce. She was my last dog (so far), because it was just too hard to say goodbye to her. I’ll never forget that first moment when I saw her, all by herself when the others were trying to nurse from their mom. We connected; she was mine.

I’m sure we all have a few moments that have left huge impressions on our lives. Please share one of your memorable moments in the comments below! 

Working at Children’s Specialized: Sad or inspirational?

“How do you work there? It must be so sad.”

Have you ever gotten that response (or some variation of it) when you tell people you work at Children’s Specialized Hospital? Whether people have come for a tour at one of our sites or have just learned what we do, the response is usually the same – a sense of remorse and sadness.

When I hear this, I immediately launch into my support of the children we serve. 

I tell them that these kids have no idea how sick they really are, and that their main focus is getting home and being with their family. These kids are courageous in ways I could never be and they are determined!

These kids want to be kids – they want to experience joy and laughter. They want to find ways to enjoy life, regardless of any limitations that may be present.

One of our colleagues encouraged me to use my speeches to focus on how we strive to develop our children to be as independent as possible, and how we teach their families to have the courage to advocate and create the most inclusive community possible.

Working at Children’s Specialized Hospital is so much more than providing health care to these children. It is about doing what you would do for a member of your family; giving them the support to achieve all that is possible and reaching their maximum potential.

So, if asked the question, “How do you work there,” how would you respond? What would you say

Regardless, it is still such a blessing to be involved with our children and watch them grow and progress to become amazing adults. It’s not sad to work here, it’s inspirational.